Life Span
Annual
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Epiphyte
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Southeastern Asia, China, Japan, Melanesia
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
-
Number of Varieties
3300
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Humid climates, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-811-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-10
Sunset Zone
A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
-
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm25.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm25.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
White, Light Yellow, Violet, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green, Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Subulate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam
-
The pH of Soil
Neutral
-
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Divison
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
Allow to dry out slightly between watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
-
Soil Type
Loam
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial shade
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
-
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Bonsai, Borders
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Flowers
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Hanging Basket, Houseplant, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
ERIA merrillii
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Eria, Orchid
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Eria
In German
Maus Melone
Eria
In French
Mousemelon
Eria
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Eria
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
eria
In Portuguese
melão rato
eria
In Polish
mysz melona
Eria
In Latin
mouse melon
Pinalia
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Asparagales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Orchidaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Pinus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
Melothrieae
Podochileae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Epidendroideae
Number of Species
50500
1
27800
👆🏻